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Monday, February 10, 2014

I Can See Clearly Now - I See MYSELF

One of the activities I used to enjoy doing to relax was drawing. When my children were around two years old I attempted to draw my daughter sitting on a large log at a country market.

While incomplete, I was particularly proud of my drawing [left] until I see it compared alongside the drawing of a 'real' artist [right]! My perspective of my ability changes when compared alongside the ability of someone else.

An under or over inflated view of ourselves is often right-sized when our self-image is compared with something or someone
that redefines our perspective. Unfortunately,
we live in a society where self-image takes a battering, but equally we live in a society that also has an over
active ego!

Whatever our self-image looks like, a right image of God
helps us to correct our image of ourselves.
It is only when we see ourselves for who we really are that we are able
to reposition ourselves to become whom God intended us to be!

Just as a wrong perception of God will lead to a wrong
perception of our selves, a right perception of God will enable us to see
ourselves in perspective of His holiness.

As the prophet Isaiah's divine vision progresses from seeing "the Lord...high and exalted" (Isaiah 6:1), he moves from
really seeing God, to really seeing himself:

“Woe to me!” I cried,
“I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my
eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” – Isaiah 6:5

A vision of a Holy God exposes anything that is unholy!

From my experience and observation as a Corps Officer (Pastor), I
have seen three primary responses that are in complete contrast to Isaiah’s
response from people who have been exposed in some way by a vision of
themselves: Denial, Blame or Retreat…

Denial is the
unwillingness or inability to recognise anything that will challenge a person’s
image of themselves.

Blame is the
deflection onto someone or something else that we do not want to take ownership
of ourselves.

Retreat is to
remove ourselves from an environment where something about us is exposed that
makes us feel uncomfortable or insecure.

In contrast to these three responses is that ‘aha’ moment
that opens our eyes to new revelation that has potential life changing
consequences if we have the humility to really see ourselves.

Isaiah had that ‘aha’ moment in the presence of a holy God! When he really saw himself against the image
of a holy God and humbled himself to confess that which was unholy, he
experienced a cleansing that imparted God’s righteousness into this man, making him acceptable in the presence of a holy God.

King David sought this same cleansing after he had
monumentally sinned against God in Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within
me.”

This same cleansing is also available for you and I today as
declared in 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us
from all unrighteousness.”

A clear vision of a holy God will enable you to see clearly
who and where you are in your spiritual journey and if you humble yourself and
embrace this vision, then you will reposition yourself for a divine encounter
with a holy God who will make you righteous in His sight.

We can confidently and securely approach this holy God,
because what He reveals to us is not to
condemn us but to liberate us to become the people he has created us to be!

“God is more just than
any of us will ever be. He will not pretend or close a blind eye to our
sinfulness. His holiness requires more than our brokenness can provide, yet He
generously offers us life. When we turn to Him regardless of our condition, His
gift to us is the same. In this regard He does not treat us differently. He
loves us all with an everlasting love. You can choose to hold God’s generosity
against Him, or you can receive the abundance of the life He offers.” - Erwin
Raphael McManus “Uprising” p. 163